One Pillar Pagoda

Overview

The One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột) is one of Vietnam's most iconic temples, designed to resemble a lotus blossom emerging from a single stone pillar. Originally built in 1049, the current structure is a 1954 reconstruction.

Highlights

• Unique architecture: A small wooden pagoda perches on a single cylindrical stone column 1.25 m in diameter.
• Lotus symbolism: The design represents purity rising from muddy water.

History

Emperor Lý Thái Tông built the pagoda in 1049 after dreaming of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara on a lotus flower. The French destroyed it in 1954; the new government rebuilt it soon after.

Visitor Tips

• Quick visit: Combine with the adjacent Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex.
• Duration: 15–20 minutes.